Come Clean
by Darkness's Angel
Summary: Hermione tells her niece a story about unrequited love.


Come Clean

Summary: Hermione tells her niece a story about unrequited love.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

xxx

"How come you aren't married, Aunt Mione?" Anna asked, sitting beside her.

Hermione set her book aside, and looked at the five-year-old girl. She looked just like her father, long, jet black hair, and emerald green eyes. It was unusual though, many thought her hair would have been red, seeing as how her mother was a Weasley.

"I just never did Anna," she replied, "Now don't you think it's about time you went to sleep?"

Anna smiled shyly, and shook her head. She loved staying at her aunt's house, which was good, because she was there quite a lot. With her father being the famous auror, Harry Potter, and her mother traveling around playing quidditch she didn't see them as much as she would have liked.

"You always answer that the same," she declared, then added, "So does Mum."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her. "What exactly does Ginny say about be being unmarried?"

Anna wrapped her arms around her legs, and started rocking back on forth, smiling sweetly as she did. "Well, Mum says that you just never wanted to get married," Anna answered.

Hermione shook her head ruefully. "That's not exactly true," she muttered to herself, but Anna heard her.

"Then you did want to get married?" Anna stated, crawling closer to her, her smile widening, "Then how come you didn't? Who was it? Why didn't you? Are you going to marry him now? Can I be in the wedding?"

Hermione chuckled, then replied, "Calm down Anna. I'm not going to marry him now, he's already married actually."

Anna huffed in response. "You mean he is with some other lady?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Anna asked, "I thought that when two people liked each other, they decide to get married, then have a bunch of babies."

"That's true to some extent, dear," Hermione sighed, then looked at the time, "How about if I tell you a story, you go to bed straight after, alright?"

"Is it a special story?" Anna asked, nodding.

"Yes, Anna," she replied, "One that has never been told."

Hermione watched the young child sit back on her legs, and fold her hands in her lap, waiting for her to continue.

"Well," Hermion started, "Once upon a time, the lived a girl. Now this girl wasn't very beautiful, nor was she very sweet, she was, however, incredibly smart."

"Just as smart as you, Aunt Mione?" Anna asked, interrupting.

Hermione nodded, then replied softly, "Just as smart as me. Anyway, this girl went to live in a castle, a castle she called home for seven years. She went on adventures, and learned new things, smiled and cried, but the most precious thing she ever did was fall in love."

"Who did she fall in love with?" Anna asked, her emerald eyes sparkling with interest.

"I'm getting there," Hermione replied, "She was best friends with two boys. One was very loud, and silly. He came from a large family, and loved quidditch. He and the girl used to fight all the time, but they loved each other in their own way. As for the other boy, he was brave, smart, sweet, and very caring. The girl fell in love with this boy, and no one knew."

"So what happened to the boy and the girl? Did they get together?" Anna asked.

"Well, there was a very evil monster that was after the boy," Hermione continued, "and the boy had to go off and defeat it. He returned victorious, and everyone was happy, except of course for the girl. For you see, she could tell that the boy was falling in love with another little girl, a girl who was the loud boy's sister.

"How horrible for her," Anna stated, What did she do?"

"Nothing," Hermione replied, "She did nothing."

"You mean she didn't tell the boy that she loved him?" Anna questioned, leaning back against the couch. She yawned softly.

"Yes, she didn't tell the boy she loved him," Hermione responded quietly.

"Then what happened?" Anna asked, snuggling closer to the couch.

"Well, the boy married the girl he loved," Hermione said.

"You mean the sister?" Anna inquired. Hermione nodded. "What of the other girl?"

"She watched them live happily ever after."

"Aunt Hermione," Anna asked quietly.

"Yes, dear?"

"You were the smart girl weren't you?"

"Yes, I was," she replied.

"Then who was the boy that you loved?" Anna murmured sleepily. Anna's eyes fluttered shut and Hermione listened as the child's breathing became even.

She stood up and grabbed her blanket off the other couch, covering the little girl with it. She kissed her gently on the forehead, and moved the pieces of her hair that fell over her eyes.

"He was your father Anna," Hermione stated quietly, "I loved your father."

Straightening herself, Hermione walked out of her room, taking her book with her. Just as she was about to step across the doorframe, into the hall, she threw a look over her shoulder and glanced at one of the pictures on her mantle.

It was of a girl who looked to be about seventeen with brown hair pulled back into a twist, and cinnamon eyes. She was wearing crimson red dress robes. Next to her, was a boy with sparkling, emerald eyes, and unruly, jet black hair. He was adorned with black dress robes, lined with green. The two were dancing, and every so often, the boy would dip the girl, and the two would laugh as he brought her back up.

xxx

Author's Note - This has been in my mind for a little while now, and I finally had time to write it. Hope you enjoyed it. Please Review and let me know what you all thought.


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